Latest News

Mid-Roll Video Ads Come to Facebook

All too soon, Facebook will weave advertisements into videos hosted on the social platform, creating a previously unavailable revenue source for advertisers. Ads will be shown in a mid-roll format, interrupting videos after 20 seconds of playtime. These 15-second ads will only be allowed for videos that are at least 90 seconds long.

The unusual format has been in testing since August of last year, solely during Live broadcasts. Operating similarly to Twitch, Facebook's mid-roll ads punctuated live streams.The reception of these ads must have been encouraging as Facebook has plans to insert mid-roll ads in non-Live videos this year. Dan Rose, VP of partnerships for Facebook, told Poynter: "Next year, we're going to be looking at ways to apply the ad break model to regular videos on Facebook, videos that are no live."

To start, Facebook will offer the same deal as Youtube, selling ad space and splitting the revenue with video publishers. Publishers will receive 55% of all sales, reports Recode. On Monday, three people told Marketing Land that Facebook began reaching out to "agencies about the new ad slots' availability in Facebook's ad buying tools." Advertisers buying a video ad campaign on Facebook will find that mid-roll ads are enabled by default, labelled In-Stream Videos. Some brands may choose to opt out of mid-roll ads because, as one agency executive told Adage, "you don't have control over where the commercial shows up." A valid concern as Facebook Live has been ground-zero for live-streaming national tragedies. However, publishing sources familiar with the new ad format have stated that publishers are able to control what categories of advertisers are allowed to run or can turn ads off entirely if desired. If a publisher wants to include humorous ads, they need only specify. The same goes for avoidance; simply specify that mature ads are not allowed.

This is unhappy news for users who have long ago accepted pre-roll advertisements:

No preroll. Facebook is experimenting w mid-roll. Not bad for Live, but not sure interrupting a 1:30 video at :45 isn't disruptive #ONA16FB

Prior to the inclusion of mid-roll ads, video publishers producing content for Facebook had no opportunity to accrue capital from their creations. CEO Mark Zuckerberg, in a relatively novel move, forbade Facebook from prefacing videos with the standard pre-roll ad as he believes they lessen the viewing experience. In fact, advertisements were altogether absent from videos hosted on Facebook. The glaring lack of advertisements meant that publishers received little or no ad revenue. With no promise of a monetary return, many Facebook publishers abstained from creating quality content to host on the social platform.

To combat the lack of revenue Facebook began placing promoted videos in the 'Suggested Videos' section, splitting the revenue with media partners. This yielded fractions of a penny per video view, said publishing executives. Just last year, after BuzzFeed executives voiced their complaints, Facebook allowed video publishers to create videos sponsored by advertisers. BuzzFeed's Tasty unit has garnered quite a bit of revenue in that regard.

When Facebook first threw its efforts into video, sometime in 2014, it didn't take long for the new media to gain popularity. As has been proven time and time again, when Facebook decides that something is going to be successful, it takes off, as was the case with live video recently. Over time, video was seamlessly integrated into Facebook. Publishers began to create videos specifically for the platform, inserting subtitles in order to grab audience attention as they scroll past muted videos. The number of videos posted per person has increased by 75% in 2015, not surprising considering that videos have a 135% greater organic reach over still photos. As of 2016, Facebook has reported an average of 8 billion videos watched per day by users.

It isn't easy at the top, lording over the masses in a way that seems at once demurring and powerful. Sharing the title of top dog is even more difficult; just look at the rivalry between Facebook and YouTube. YouTube has long been the leading platform for videos, hosting a variety of colourful personalities and making serious bank off of video advertisements. Facebook, on the other hand, has abstained from allowing advertisements to sully their videos. But no more.

Jacqui
Litvan, wielding a bachelor's degree in English, strives to create a world of
fantasy amidst the ever-changing landscape of military life. Attempting to
become a writer, she fuels herself with coffee (working as a barista) and music
(spending free time as a raver). Follow her @Songbird_Jacqui

Contact
us on Twitter,
on Facebook, or
leave your comments below. To find out about social media training or
management why not take a look at our website for more info: TheSMFGroup.com

About Social Songbird

Keeping you up to date on social media, digital marketing, apps, news & reviews.
Social media, and digital marketing as a whole, are rapidly and constantly changing, adapting to new developments at an ever increasing rate. Just keeping up to date can be a nightmare.
Our team of writers know their field, and keep an ear to the ground. We aim to keep you informed of all recent developments in the online world, and teach you a little something along the way.
So whether you just want to stay connected, or gain some knowledge for yourself, the Social Songbird will keep on singing!
More articles are posted every day so keep checking back!
Join the discussion on Twitter - #SocialSongbird
Or contact us directly - @SongbirdWriters

For many who perhaps are enthralled in a series eagerly awaiting the latest episode or hooked on a sporting season desperate to see tha...

Meet The Team

Sam Bonson - Editor/Content Writer

Sam is an aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers. Currently working as Editor of Social Songbird, he hopes to one day drop that 'aspiring' prefix. Follow him @Songbird_Sam

Mili Ponce - Executive Editor

Mili Ponce is a recognised international Digital Marketing strategist and keynote speaker.
Known in the UK as the Twitter Queen for the last 9 years, she was the first one, to write and speak in conference about how to create an online business and promote any products and services by using Twitter.
She gives training and consultancy to Corporate Companies, Government Organizations, Marketing Managers, Business Owners and Individuals @miliponceuk

Sarah Cousins - Contributor

I write about ideas. My background is in strategic marketing, PR, social media and project management, my future is in ideas. I’m professionally qualified with the Chartered Institute of Marketing, holding a postgraduate diploma in strategic marketing. After working for the BBC I spent a lot of time in the education sector. I’ve flirted with freelance work and consultancy but the BIG thing I’ve noticed is that people want practical results (ridiculously fast). I help boutique business owners and online entrepreneurs. One powerful idea can change your world, last a lifetime or even create a legacy. You can find me on Twitter @The_Ideas_Girl

Victoria Greene - Contributor

Victoria Greene is an e-commerce marketing expert and freelance writer who derives an unusual level of enjoyment from browsing supermarkets. You can read more of her work at her blog Victoria Ecommerce